Smack By Melvin Burgess (Spoilers)

The novel Smack written by Melvin Burgess is a story focused on two teenagers in England in the 1980's. The two main characters are named Tar and Gemma. The two are 14 years old and both run away from their parents, but for very different reasons. They meet others who have run away and learn how to squat abandoned houses in order for them to have places for them live. While living on the streets, both Gemma and Tar get hooked on the drug heroine and become "junkies". We learn about their constant battles with the drug and being on their own. The characters, although they feel like they are adults, show how childlike they really are throughout this depressing, yet informative novel.

This novel is extremely graphic. That is why I struggle with the thought about this book being taught in a classroom. I feel that if I tried to teach, i would get a lot of angry phone calls from parents. However, I still feel that this book should be taught. This text gives great examples of writing from many different perspectives because each chapter is from the point of view of a different character.

Another reason I feel that this book should be taught is because it is very informative about the risks of heroine, and drugs in general. We learn how hard it is for a person who gets hooked, to get clean. It is nearly impossible and none of the characters get completely clean in the end. Also, Melvin Burgess researched for this book. he interviewed people who lived on the streets, addicts and dedicated a lot of his time to researching this book. Although Melvin Burgess did not live on the streets himself, he worked hard to make this novel as accurate as possible.

I think it would be really hard to teach this book, but it needs to be done, because this novel is too great to be ignored.